Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-08-19
OVER A HUNDRED KILLED.
THREE TINES THAT NUMBER
INJURED.

INJURED.
A NIAGARA EXCURSION TRAIN |
WRECKED-PROBABLY CAUSED |
BY HUMAN FIENDS-A BRIDGE |
FIRED THROUGH WHICH THE
TRAIN DROPPED.
CHICAGO, August 11.-Nearly
thousand happy.hearted excursion
lists we're on a train on the Toledo,
Peoria and Western Railroad,
bound for Niagara Falls, last
night, when, without q moments
warning, the train fell through
burning bridge. The next moment
over one hundred of those who had
started on the pleasure trip met
death in its most horrible FORM
Several hundred more were injured
some with their legs or arms
crushed or manned, others with
their skulls fractured, and many
scorched and bistered by the ter
rible fire. Worse than the horrors
of Ashtabula and Russey Park
was the terrible disaster of last
night. The wreck occurred three
miles east of the town of Chats
worth, III. The train was composed
of six sleeping cars, six day coaches
and chair.cars, and three baggage
cars. The excursion party was
made up at various points along
the line. A large number of the
people belonged in Peoria, and
some came from Burlington and
other places in Iowa. The excur-
sion had been advertised as a great
event for some time. Tickets were
sold remarkably cheap, and hun
dreds of poor people who had never
seen Niagara embraced this oppor-
tunity. Every car of the long
train Was packed with passengers.
Two locomotives we're required to
draw il. When the accident Oc-
Cured the train was running on a
down grade at the terrific speed OF
about mile a minute. When the
first engineer turned a curve he
saw the little trestle bridge over
the narrow run, three miles IRON
Chatsv5orth, ablaze. 1t was too
late to save the train at the fearful
velocity it was going. When the
first engineer saw the fire he was
not three hundred feet away from
the bridge. The next instant his en-
gine hadIpassed oyer it, but the sec
ond heavy locomotive went crash
ing down into the mass of blazing
timbers, followed by the cars and
their human freight. Most of the
occupants of the sleepers fortunate
" escaped, but all the passengers
in the day coaches were either kill
ed or hurt. 1t was just midnight
when the accident occurred. The
ravine which the bridge spanned
was but ten feet deep, but the cars
telescoped and piled up on each
other in such a heterogeneous mass
as to ma ke the awful work of de-
structioII complete. The second
enginee was instantly killed. Help
was soon summoned from Peoria
and other points. The residents OF
ChatgTorth turned their homes
into h ospitals, and all day has the
work of removing the dead, dying
and Injured been going on. Scores
of those injured will probably die.
The worst feature of the terrible
affair was the plundering OF the
dead and dying. Indeed, the
horrible suspicion is growing that
the bridge was fred By a band OF
thiey es with the intention of wreck
ing the train that they might
plumber the victims. Watches and
Jewels we're torn from the dead
The ears of several young lady
victims were terribly lacerated
where their diamond earrings had
been torn from them. Many pocket
books and purses were found
scattered over the neighborlne
fields. They had been taken from
the dead and then rifled by the
thieves as they fled from the scene
of horror. 1t seems hardly possible
that even flends could have plotted
so horribl G a crime, and yet thu
proofs arc conclusive that thu
victims we re robbed, even if thell
plundereri did not murder them.
STORY OF AN EYEWITNESS.
r. G.. Il isser, of Kankakee, said
81 was at El Paso, and missed th'
excursion train by less than flv'
minutes. then took a frelgh
twenty-six minu tes later, ant
when we got to Forest, tn
cond uctor had orders to leay
all his load, secure all the ply
sici ans he could, and procee'
to wreck three miles east o
CT latsworth. Upon arriving at IN
SC enc of the disaster we found th
NJ ost heartrending and indescrlu
a BILE scene ever witnessed. Men
women and children we're bee'glnI
o be taken from the wreck. NYha
made the situation still moro al
palling was the fire on the brl'lg
with no water at hand with VIII 'c
TO DO anything. All or the ira Il
/ and such passengers rs were abl